How to complete the Fire TV and Fire TV Stick initial setup without updating

This guide will show you how to complete the Fire TV and Fire TV Stick initial setup and get you to the home screen without updating the device’s software. This is important for rooting because the Fire TV and Fire TV Stick will try to update their software to an unrootable version during the initial setup process.

Recommended but not required
It is highly recommended that you block Amazon’s update domains via your router or via a service like OpenDNS. You can find instructions on how to do that here.

It is possible to complete the initial setup without blocking the update domains, but be aware that the Fire TV continuously tries to download updates, even when it does not indicate so on the screen. If you proceed without blocking updates externally, you should get to the home screen as fast as possible and immediately block updates internally.

Update

This guide was last updated April 6th, 2016. Note that as Amazon releases new software versions, this guide may no longer work. It is impossible to continuously test if this guide still works because I can’t possibly afford to buy a new Fire TV or Fire TV Stick every time Amazon updates the software version that their devices leave the factor with.

Video Demonstration on a Fire TV Stick

Guide

[OPTIONAL, BUT HIGHLY RECOMMENDED] Follow this guide to block software updates externally. If you’re having trouble getting through initial setup, try unblocking the domains softwareupdates.amazon.com and updates.amazon.com, but leaving the other domains blocked.

Power on your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick. Fire TV owners should not have an ethernet cable connected.

Press “Play” when prompted.

After the device scans for networks, you should now be on the wifi selection screen.

If your device skips the wifi selection screen because you already configured your network from a previous boot up, just let it reach the update error screen and then press the back button. You should then be on the wifi selection screen.

If you have a Fire TV, it is best to use a wired connection, but WiFi will also work. If you’re forced to use WiFi, like with a Fire TV Sticks, select and configure your network, but do not press the “Connect” button yet.

For Wifi users, prepare yourself to kill the device’s internet connection. You can do this in several ways, like using your router’s configuration, or even physically cutting power to your router or modem. For wired ethernet users, you just need to be ready to pull the ethernet cable at a specific point. The next few steps will happen quickly, so you should read ahead to know what to expect.

Connect to your network by either plugging in an ethernet cable or by pressing the “Connect” button for WiFi connections. The device will display a “Connecting to…” message.

The instant you see “Connection Successful”, cut off the device’s internet connection. It’s better to cut it off too soon than too late because you can always try again if it’s too soon, but it may start downloading an update if it’s too late.

You’ll next see a “Checking for updates” screen. There is a brief moment when this screen first appears that you still have time to kill the device’s internet connection if you didn’t do it fast enough on the previous “Connection Successful” screen.

If you see a “Downloading…” screen, then you didn’t cut the device’s internet connection soon enough and need to start over. It’s safe to just unplug the device’s power here if it starts trying to download an update.

After the “Checking for updates” screen you should be taken to the registration screen. If you haven’t blocked updates externally, the device may still be checking and trying to download updates. Otherwise, once here you’re in the clear. You can now reconnect your ethernet cable or turn your Wifi back on. Once the internet connection is back on, it’s best to let the device sit on the registration screen for a few seconds to ensure it has reconnected to the internet. If you go past this screen without an internet connection, you will be taken back to the network configuration screen and will have to start the process over.

Complete the rest of the setup process. You can check your software version under Settings > System > About.

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That’s the behavior you get when the Fire TV can’t access the domain firs-ta-g7g.amazon.com

Did you buy that Fire TV used? If so, it may be soft bricked with a modified host file that is blocking firs-ta-g7g.amazon.com. Unfortunately, there’s no way to know for sure if that’s the case, and no way to fix it.

I found a better way to avoid the OTA update on a rootable firmware shipped AFTV for the initial setup.

1. Let the registration and video playback finish as a normal process.
2. The moment the Home Screen comes first time, enabled Debugging
3. The one at $69 couple days ago, came with firmware 51.1.1.0_user_511070220
4. Rooted immediately and blocked OTA updates.
5. But by this time, the new firmware already gets downloaded … so I went to /cache with adb shell and SU , and removed the file.
6. Anything inside cache was removed now.
7. I rebooted the AFTV using adb reboot and it was still the 70220 version

8. On this version, Netflix new version does not run , I downgraded by recovery partition to old version and installed CWM .. and downgraded to the firmware 51.1.0.2_user_510058520 using the downgrade guide and immediately rooted that one again, and stopped OTA.

9. And then, used CWM to upgrade to Pre-ROOTED version 51.1.4.0_user_514006420 to get netflix fix.

Could you please explain a little detailed that how you deleted the cache directory? I am not so familiar with the ADB, so it would be nice to hear step-by-step ADB codes which we have to use to delete the cache directory.

And i didn’t understand, do you mean that the update firmware file is already in cache directory out of the box, even without connecting to internet? If yes, we have to delete the cache directory immediately while it could install very quickly i guess (even without internet access)..

I have tried to block all three, addresses, then two, then just the one… Apparently you have to have all three open in order for to get past anything (or I did something wrong).

I reset to factory default (retail purchased box), followed all the steps up to registration. When I plugged the box back in the front panel led stayed orange and did not reconnect to the network…trying to work through it now.

…I just want to install XBMC but after 6 hours of waiting for a 57 MB package to install, I gave up and began to look for alternatives (like rooting it, though I am sure it won’t work)

In according with @Luv2rip ‘s comment it seems that even without Internet access to get the update file downloaded, there is still a probability that the update fw file could already be in CACHE directory already, out of the box. Could this be true or did i misunderstand sth?

If yes, it is really important also to delete the CACHE directory immediately after rooting the AFTV.
So, could you please explain a little detailed steps that how we should delete the CACHE directory? I am not so familiar with the ADB, so it would be nice to hear step-by-step ADB codes which we have to use to delete the CACHE directory.

May be it would also be useful to update all these steps and include the removing CACHE directory with ADB…

This didn’t work for me. My new Fire TV did not have the English/German toggling on the initial screen, so I hoped I was good to go. But when I pulled the ethernet cable when the light went white, I kept getting a screen that read, “The network connection has been lost. Please check your Internet connection or select a different network, along with steps to try to connect with the network. Multiple tries kept bringing me back to the same screen. :(

I should mention that I did successfully get through the registration screen on the first attempt, where I input my Amazon account info, but after that, I got the screen that just states that the connection to the network was lost. As soon as I plug in the ethernet cable, a progress bar pops up and it starts to download the latest software, so I yank it again and get the “connection lost” screen. Just goes around in a loop. When I restart the AFTV, I get to the screen where they show the available wifi connections, I plug the ethernet cable in, wait for it to go white, and yank it when it does, and then I get dumped back to the “network connection has been lost screen.” Any suggestions?

Just wanted to report that I finally successfully root my FireTV. I just kept plugging and unplugging the ethernet cable over and over again until it finally took me to a different screen, from which I was able to proceed.

Thanks to the folks behind all these great tutorials. AFTV News rocks!

> If nothing you try gets past the error message, you’re going to have to let the Fire TV update. Fire TVs running the oldest known software version will not get past this message. The good news is these oldest Fire TVs usually update incrementally, so hopefully you have one of these units and it updates to a rootable version.

This no longer works, I have two firetvs from the initial batch which I just opened, both could not bypass the message. I let one of them take an update to see if it would be incremental and it was not. 51.1.0 updated directly to 51.1.4.2

I recently notice that when I switched the Amazon Fire TV from Ethernet connection to wi fi, the ip address changed. Once the IP address is assigned to each connection it remains the same for that connection.

For now have I blocked OTP on both ip address using adb. My question if i switched connection between wi-fi and Ethernet, do i have to block the amazon updates each time i switched the connection?

Also what is the adb command to verify if amazon updates are blocked? I know how to block the updates but is there another command to just check to ensure amazon updates are blocked?

ARGH!!! I had an old one that updated to the latest version. I was using DNS blocking, but apparently the Fire TV DEFAULTS to using Google’s 8.8.8.8 DNS, even though that is NOT what my router uses when it’s forwarding DNS requests….

With the same 3 websites blocked on my router which has blocked updates on well over 50 FIRE TV’s, I came back to my FIRE TV installing updates on what was version 5.1.1.o! I pulled the plug and checked the settings on my router… just to be sure.

And sure enough — all 3 key websites remained blocked.

It was too late to salvage and my new Fire TV updated to 5.1.1.4

What in the heck is going on?

I’m very hesitant to try another registration with what are root-able versions of the FIRE TV.

Is there a new way to block the updates? Has Amazon figured a way around the current strategies?

I can also confirm that Amazon has figured out of way of bypassing the blocked updates. I currently have the three Amazon links blocked via OpenDNS. I have previously rooted about 10 boxes now without any issues. But the box I turned on today, 2/6/15, that came with rootable version 51.1.1.0_user_511070220 somehow bypassed the blocks and updated itself to the latest firmware!

I tried again with another box that had the same version (51.1.1.0_user_511070220) this time I followed the unplugging ethernet cable trick. This allowed to stop the update and was then able to root this 2nd box.

I successfully rooted my fire TV using the “pull ethernet cable” method. I first blocked the amazon servers mentioned above using openDNS.
My software version was 51.1.0.1.
Question I have is can I update my software after rooting?
Good luck everyone

I have rooted FTVs when they first came out. Unboxed a new one today, came with ver. 51.1.4.0_user_514006420. I know this version is not rootable… The update downloaded by accident, still in the cache, not yet installed… Is there any way I can delete this temporary file from de FTV so it doesn’t install the moment I leave it connected and idling?
Point is I want to hold the FW where it is now, where rooting will be available sooner than if I update to the latest FW with the eFuse and all..
BIG Thanks in advance !

nvm. It just took a long time for it to get to the registration screen,. I just left it for awhile and did other things..came back and the rg screen was up. Still on unrooted version! Thanks for this guide – now to root the bugger and install clockworkmod and all the other goodies..thanks again.

I have everything blocked I was using two routers to test. Netgear WNDR3400v3 which I was able to block OTA, and a apple airport extreme. I tried the unplug Ethernet method. Which I have done on numerous boxes to date. It did not work I am on root-able fW, so I took it and plugged it into airport extreme then remove real quick it started to download but I stop it at 10%, I unplugged it and connected back to Netgear and download percentage was gone. I know I am completely blocked on that router. I am not sure if it is just the Fire TV itself as I have never had this issue. I get the following message after unplugging. ” We are trying to update your Amazon Fire TV, but we cannot contact our services. We will keep trying. Please do not disconnect from the network or unplug the power cable.”
I have never seen this before.

Just received an unopened Fire TV with 4117 in the serial number (listed as “Rootable, but are more likely to refuse to go past a blocked update during initial setup.”) I was able to get through the setup using an Ethernet connection that got pulled as soon as it turned white – no updates were able to load. The software version is 51.1.3.0 right out of the box.

Think I will just let the software update and take the chance that sideloaded apps will be blocked some day. By the time that happens (and it will be serious news for independent developers on Fire TV; who will likely run away from that platform that can not run sideloaded apps) we will all be able to just buy a latest RASPBERRY PI to keep going with independent Android apps.

It will always be below $100 for a solution, but maybe not in the Amazon app ecosystem, which will collapse from none users.

Hi.. need help setting up Amazon firetv first generation. I couldn’t get pass the update.
I follow the guide above, but unfortunately I couldn’t pull my ethernet cable in time and it has updated 25%. I repeated the step above, pulling the ethernet cable out as soon as the light turn white but nothing happen. I try power down the unit and repeated the steps but it keep telling me to check the internet connection.

I’ve gotten past step 10 successfully where the video is played and I removed the internet. It finished the video and briefly went to the menu system before it tried to update. Now it shows a screen where it’s trying to download the latest updates even after rebooting. What can I do at this point?

I bought a new Fire-tv 2 4k and used OpenDNS as well as router blocking to block OTA updates before trying to set it up as per this guide. It checks for updates, tries to download(which fails) and leaves me at a screen saying it was unable to update so it never let’s me get to the registration screen. I’ve even tried killing the connection after it says “connection successful” which then goes to checking updates and sits for a while before going to the screen mentioned above, still with no proceedings to the registration screen. How do I get past this?

“Recommended but not required
It is highly recommended that you block Amazon’s update domains via your router or via a service like OpenDNS. You can find instructions on how to do that here.”
this does not make any sense , how could you possibly use open DNS to block initial update if you need to get into the settings to make your fire tv stick use open DNS when you have to get past initial update to access the settings menu?

If you’re using wired, scroll to the far right of the wifi selection screen and there is an option to configure your wired connection. Enter all the relevant wired connection info, including your DNS settings, and THEN connect the ethernet cable.

ok thanks i figured out you can use advanced to enter the DNS settings, this is my 1st amazon tv device ,but now i am having a problem following your guide to set up open DNS on the fire tv stick itself ,it says step 3 is only optional but then in step 7 and 9 it says you need to have information you copied from the settings menu in step 3 that was supposedly an optional step
but if it is optional then how do you get the information you are supposed to put in in steps 7 and 9? the fire tv’s ip and the gateways and subnet mask? how can you get that information it says in your guide that you need to copy it from the fire tv settings menu which you can not even enter till after setup
seems like there is no way to get the information needed to setup the fire tv stick to use open DNS without going into the setting s menu which you can not do yet, , according to your guides

i am trying to get through initial setup without update but you guide is of no help for using open DNS
because you cant get into fire stick settings to find the informattion you say to enter in the wifi advanced settings to set the fire stick to use open DNS , can you make a better guide on ow to get the fire tv ip , gateway subnet mask or whatever information you need to out in to make it use open DNS and not update during initial setup?

how am i supposed to set up open DNS on the fire stick, this guide says you need to copy numbers from settings /about which you can not access till you are already connected to a network and through initial setup, you would already be updated at that point , so this is completely useless so how could you possibly set up open DNS without getting those numbers without catching an update 1st? please explain
is there another way to setup open DNS is there another way to get the fire TV IP? do you not need it? how do you make it use open DNS if you can’t get the numbers to put in without first connecting it to a network

i have no clue what you just said
but my gateway is 192.168.1.1
i guessed my subnet mask got 24 for the prefix
i put in 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220 , for my primary and secondary dns
but it doesn’t matter because this guide is totally worthless it does not work at all anymore
it connects ,says connection successful, i pull the ethernet cable going from my modem to my wifi router when it says connection successful ,then it hangs at checking for updates for an hour, then it goes to the error screen, i hit back go to wifi settings put in my password ,go to advanced enter all the DNS settings again ,hit connect ,it says connection successful i pull the ethernet cable out again before it reached checking for updates screen ,it goes to checking for updates screen again ,hangs for an hour then goes back to the error screen it never reaches the registration screen this guide is totally useless , it does not work any more it is 2 years old and probably has not been tested as working with a fire stick in forever it should be updated, removed or have a disclaimer added to it to say it’s no longer working with the fire stick
or maybe my POS fire stick is defective or something ,it is acting weird ,the remote paired right away the 1st time,i unplugged it and the remote wont pair, i unplugged it again and it took 15 minutes and finally paired again , also it says i am not using the amazon power brick even though i am
these things are chinese crap ,total POS
the chinese never make the same thing twice
had problems with my fire 7 5th gen tablets too,one had a dead pixel and they both get horrible image burn in/ghosting
would have much better off with a cheap chinese android box this is just not worth all the aggravation
i wasted 2 days trying to get this BS to work already not to mention days reading about it 1st, worthless product, worthless guide

oh yeah i guessed the IP for fire stick i used 192.168.1.5 and 192.168.1.55 it said connected successfully with both , but still hangs at checking for updated for an hour and goes to the error screen ,if i guess the wrong IP then it would not connect successfully at all right? i don’t think it maters how many times i enter a different IP in the range,if it was not right it would not connect at all , seems like there is not way for this to ever work there is not way to get to the registration screen using this method

gdroid666, have you tried unblocking the domains softwareupdates.amazon.com and updates.amazon.com like the video suggests?

Try blocking only the other domains listed in the blocking guide, and then play around with the timing of when you kill the internet connection. Start by killing the connection just before it says “Connection Successful”, then keep trying to kill it later and later in the process.

no ,but the video is from 2014 and you said the blocking guide was updated and in the blocking guide you added more domains , in fact in that guide it says “add the 3 domains” but then under it there are actually 4 domains not 3
so i assumed you wanted us to add all 4 domains
now since the video is old ,and the guide is updates with more domains i assumed you added more domains for a reason

so you are saying i should go to the open DNS dash, and remove
softwareupdates.amazon.com and updates.amazon.com

but i should leave the other 2? or delete them all?

i will try it but won’t this make the external blocking not work?

should i go back into the open dash if i do get to the registration screen and then re block those domains too ,all 4 before reconnecting the internet and proceeding through the registration screen?

i don’t see how it would make a difference though since it’s not even connected when it gets to checking for updates,are you sure this has not been changed in the fw,version before the latest 5.0.5.1 to not go to registration screen if update fails?
also you never say in your guide or your video how long we should expect to wait at the checking for updates screen ,is it normal for it to hang for like an hour at that screen?

I just received a brand new Fire TV 4K. I want to prevent my device from updating to the newest version, so that I can get root easily. However, when I use this guide in order to skip the initial update procedure it continues to show me the error message instead of jumping to the registration screen. I set up my router to block the domains according to the guide and I turn off my Wi-Fi router the moment “connection succesful” appears on the screen. Any ideas how to fix this?

Ok..I’m totally new at this fire stick thing…I’m on my 2nd one BC I can’t get past the registration screen…it connects I think then just goes back to registration. I’ve tried to create new reg too…I previously didn’t have to register it…just double click home button after connected…what us wrong with these sticks..ugh

I just received my new aftv directly from Amazon.com shipped with 5.0.4 and successfully blocked updates with method 3&4 and later blocked with method2. So Amazon is still shipping rootable devices, unless I was just lucky.
I plan to root it today or tomorrow and install rbox 5.0.5 or latest rbox 5.2.1.0.

Initially I struggled getting to registration screen…until I removed all blocked domains except the 2 required ones mentioned above in router and openDNS.

Ste 9 did not happen. It jumped from step 8to10. When first connecting ethernet, it said checking ethenet connection, and ethernet connection made, and jumped to checking updates, then I unplugged ethernet and waited. After many attempts it finally got to registration screen.

Just confirming this worked on a FTV2 I got from Buy buy on Sep 21 2016. Had to unblock softwareupdates.amazon.com and updates.amazon.com. Only had to go back an unplug once or twice. Just to be sure, I unplugged it between every screen that didn’t require it.

It’s a bit scary that that it says “Downloading version… 5.2.1.0” in the settings screen, so I’m not going to test my Netgear parental controls or your blacklist. But the FTV2 came with 5.0.5.1… time to get rooting! Thanks for your guides!